Organization: Easy way to remember what to do

I would really like to start this entry by apologizing for not posting for a while. I got caught up in my schoolwork and life got hectic.

HOWEVER, I haven’t let any of that bring me down and I hope that you won’t either. “[Get on up when you’re down, keep on moving anyway]”

I’ve been working on SO many projects this summer, it’s astounding. I know, I know. It’s mostly normal for me to get my creative on, but really, I haven’t been able to lately because of my busy schedule. And that’s what brings me to the topic of today’s entry: organizing your life so you can find time to unwind. No more “I don’t have the time for it.”

For those of you that are night-owls and late-risers, CHANGE YOUR HABITS.

I’ve always been a morning person, but when things get overwhelming, I like to sleep in. You think it would do me some good, but NOPE. I just end up feeling worse for the rest of the day! What is that nonsense?! I find that I can get a whole lot more done if I’m up early. I’m so productive! There’s just so much time to do so many things.

Okay, so that’s step one. Waking up early enough to seize the day.

What’s step two? I say, make yourself a rudimentary schedule. Not something exact, but something more like an outline, a to-do list of sorts. Before you go off jotting things down in a planner, let me stop you. Don’t do it. Put your schedule up in a more visible area. If you really don’t want to spend “a lot” of money like me, you might be interested in what I did. Well, in truth, my brother was kind enough to do it for me. He bought some Solid White Tileboard from Home Depot to use as a white board. $16 for 4 ft X 8 ft. Yeah, I know, the possibilities are endless. If you really don’t want/need that much, see if you can find a friend to go halfsies with you, or, better yet, surprise them with it. Most people really like a planning space. After you’ve got your tileboard (have them cut it smaller at the store if you don’t want the full piece, they do it for free for the first 3 cuts), get some mirror clips and put the thing into your wall. You’re set. See? Simple. And, guess what? You just got some relaxation time from your worries. Projects and hobbies are the best stress relievers.

Well, now you’re ready. You’ve woken up early and you’ve got yourself a planning space. It’s time to start planning. Schedule your day. No, I don’t mean hour to hour, minute to minute. I mean, sit down and thinking about it. First put up your work and/or school schedule, then try putting up a grid with Sharpie on those constants so you can erase and fill those at your leisure without worrying about having to redo it constantly. Done. Leave the rest of the board clear and Sharpie-free. You want an area where you can jot down ideas and tasks that aren’t constant. I keep myself a couple of reminders and a to-do list for the week. Things that can be done at any time, you just have to give yourself a reminder to do it. It’s the same concept as having a magnetic list on your fridge. You have responsibilities and it’s not always easy to remember all the things that you have to do. In fact, for me it all seems to slip my mind. This little project was a life-saver. Once again, I applaud my brother on this one. Maybe there’s a little crafter in him, too.

Average your leisure time in your head, when do you have a couple hours to yourself. Usually, it’s not a whole lot, maybe a couple of hours a day. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to do much, try something simple. Cook yourself a nice dinner while watching a TV show. Letting your brain unwind and relax does wonders for the way it works. In fact, I find that I retain more information if I have background noise while studying. I put on a show I like and pull out my books and study while it plays.